Liberator Medical Supply moves to Big Board

STUART, Fla. - Liberator Medical Supply began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Nov. 20, a major milestone for the company, say analysts.

The listing should give the company a shot in the arm, they say.

“It can take advantage of opportunities to grow the business and perform for a greater number of shareholders,” said Jonathan Sadock, managing partner/CEO of Paragon Ventures. “It will be interesting to see how the public markets value the company going forward.”

Liberator Medical Supply, which was previously trading on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board, now trades under the ticker LBMH on the NYSE. On Dec. 4, its stock was trading at $3.21.

Mark Libratore founded Liberator Medical Supply after leaving Liberty Medical more than a decade ago. Today, Liberator Medical Supply offers diabetes and ostomy supplies, catheters and mastectomy products. The company does not hold a national Medicare mail-order contract.

Liberator posted sales of nearly $17.5 million for its fiscal third quarter 2013, an increase of 16.9% over the same period in 2012; and has paid out $4.2 million in cash dividends over the last three quarters.

Despite dealing in what are often considered commodities in today's HME market, Libratore said that he prides himself on the “mom-and-pop” experience Liberator Medical Supply offers consumers.

“We all experience the shortcomings of Internet-based companies and the frustrations of not getting a human when you want to talk to someone,” he said. “We've become extremely good at meeting customers' needs with well-trained, highly experienced people.”

With the Affordable Care Act poised to vastly expand the ranks of the insured, Liberator Medical Supply's mail-order model puts it in the right place at the right time, says Sadock.

“Companies that are positioning themselves to be able to provide for those patients are generating a lot of buzz in the investment community,” he said.